Friday, November 09, 2012

From funeral to the beach: one day in Gaza / Des funerailles a la plage: une journee a Gaza

Friday I decided to take a day off but events in Gaza are always unfolding and I went, sadly, to a funeral. Yesterday another child, 13 year-old, Hamid Younis Abu Daqqa, was shot by the Israeli army with a machine gun from an helicopter, in 'Abassan al Kabira, east of Khan Yunis, Gaza Strip, november 9, 2012.

Hamid was killed in front of his home (photo 2) located around 1 kilometer from the Green Line. He was playing football. His friends and family were devastated. Hundreds attended the funerals.

The damaged minaret of the mosque, as a result from shelling two weeks ago is another reminder of how dangerous the area is.

Constant shootings and attacks make it very dangerous for Palestinians to live near the so-called no-go zone imposed unilaterally by the Israeli army. But Hamed was more than one kilometer from the ¨border" when he was killed. Where Palestinians in Gaza can be safe? One has also to understand that Gaza Strip is only ten kilometers wide, so by terrorizing and shooting at people until an area of 1,500 meters means that a good trunck of a already very small and overcrowded Gaza is simply not accessible and become unlivable. In fact many Palestinians already left.

Do we have also to remind again and to stress that targetting civilians is strictly forbidden under internatioinal law?

I was struck by how little Hamed was. Since 2,000 more than 1,400 children have been killed by Israelis. There is no such thing as 1,400 mistakes.

The family of Hamed will never know who pulled the trigger of the machine gun in this helicopter.

This afternoon, I went to the beach. I enjoyed a picnic at the wonderful beach, and the sunset over a stormy weather. A simple pleasure that Hamed will not have anymore.

That might sound shocking to go from funeral to the beach.

But, the fact is that people of Gaza, amazingly, despite the siege and the constant attacks, the lack of certainty, continue living and are trying always to make the most of it, and work for their future as if tomorrow or the day after, things could be resolved. Their thirst for life and freedom; their resilience is truly inspiring and a force that no bomb can even break.